Howl's Moving Castle
by KinnittyKittywake
Summary: Bookverse fic of Howl's moving castle. An old friend of Howls from Wales is also cursed by the witch of the waste and drawn into the story. Howl x OC, Rated M for later chapters (just in case).
1. A strange Country in search of a spell

"Howell, wait." Megan's voice held a trace of uncertainty, and Howl stopped in his tracks, although he didn't turn round. "Gwen's back" Howl wheeled round "Gareth didn't want you to know, but she asked me.." Megan trailed off, but then rallied "she's got the little house opposite the tea shop. "Howell she's.. changed from when you, when we all last saw her."

Sophie saw his expression flicker, but he just nodded. Glancing at her and Michael, he fired of a series of what seemed to be questions at his sister in the same strange language he had used with Mari. Megan answered them in the same language and Howls expression became undisguisedly concerned. Abruptly he swung round, opened the door and shooed Sophie and Michael out of the door, throwing a brief "Thanks Meg" over his shoulder.  
Sophie did not wish to remember the next bit. The rode in a horseless carriage at terrifying speed. tearing up and down hills staggeringly steep. She shut her eyes and clung on, and simply hoped it would be over soon.  
Luckily it was. They arrived at a place with houses jammed in tight next to each other, flanking on both sides of the road. Although the buildings appeared to be deserted, Sophie had a feeling that they were not and that the occupants were watching with keen interest. Howl glanced over the road at a building sporting a large window with a lace curtain and a sign tucked in stating 'shop closed', and turned instead to face a house beside him. Sophie and Michael exchanged a look, and Michael shrugged, and the followed Howl up the path to the door of the house.

The door was cracked open almost the same moment Howls knuckles met the shabby wood door. A bright blue eye peered at them suspiciously and, once it had taken in Howl, the door was flung wide open.  
"Howl!" the occupant exclaimed, before flinging herself into his open arms with a laugh. "Come in, come in!" She untangled herself from Howl and ushered them into the building. As Sophie passed the young woman on the way in, she noticed how nervously Gwen, for this must surely be who Megan referred to, looked into the street over Sophie's shoulder, and how the door was bolted closed behind her.

"Please, do sit down" the young woman gestured for Sophie to take a seat in the chair she had clearly just been occupying. She grasped up a bundle of wool and shoved it onto a small table set in front of a sofa, which she now gestured Michael and Howl to take.  
As the woman now hurried around clearing up and muttering distracted apologies for the mess, Sophie idly looked round. The small room was sparsely furnished, and what little furniture present was shabby and worn, though deftly patched and repaired. It did not look like there was a lot of money to spare. As Sophie's gaze landed on Howl, she realized that he was also taking in the room. Concern was in his eyes although he kept it off his face.  
The woman offered tea to them all and, at their acceptance, disappeared into another room to make it. On her return, Howl stood up to help her with the tray and appeared to remember Sophie and Michael's presence.  
"Michael, Sophie, this is Gwen Parry, Megan's Sister in Law and my dearest friend. Gwen, this is Michael Fisher, my apprentice and Sophie Hatter, my Cleaner"  
If Gwen thought it strange that Howl was bringing his apprentice and cleaning lady with him to visit friends, she didn't show it. She was blushing furiously at his reference to her as his dearest friend. Howl glanced at her face and then did a double take. He reached and turned Gwen's face to him. Her smile had frozen on her face and she defiantly held his gaze for a moment, then looked away.  
"If I'd have know you would suddenly turn up I'd have made better attempts with make up" she muttered. She met Sophie and Michael's curious gaze. They couldn't see what had caught his attention. "You must forgive him his manners, his eye for attention has noticed my make up is rather thick over a bruise. I fell over and it doesn't do to give the locals more to talk about" She smiled at them. Howl sat down again, frowning, and addressed Gwen rapidly in the foreign language. Sophie took this opportunity to study Howl's 'dearest friend'. She was younger then Howl, but a little older then Sophie should have been. She was nearly as tall as Michael, and held herself rigidly upright. Her hair mink brown hair was tied back from her face in a severe bun, and sported several gold hoops in each lobe, and a 2 more in the cartilage of her left. She was very thin in a way that suggested too little food and too much work.  
By the time the conversation in the foreign tongue was finished the tea was half drunk and Howl was looking concerned.  
"Where are your manners though Howl, using Welsh when your companions do not" Gwen seemed quite glad to change the subject. She spoke with a the same lilt Megan had, though her voice was more gentle. Howl had the same lilt, Sophie realized, though his was so slight as to be un-noticed. "Howl and Megan grew up with Gareth and I, we were children together. We were quite the double act until Howl went off to university"  
Howl smiled at the recollection. "I was your excuse to get in trouble I recall"  
Gwen chuckled. "The last I saw you was Mari's christening. What have you been doing in that time since? An apprentice, a cleaner.. Megan doesn't seem to think you have any job at all, least all one that can carry an apprentice too."  
Howl looked distinctly uncomfortable. "It's not something she'd find respectable, so I haven't told her about it" He said slowly.  
Gwen looked keenly at him and shot a quick glance to Michael. "I'll wager I could name your trade in one guess, but I shan't if you're trying to protect Meg's sensibilities. You've quite the reputation now, far worse then last I saw you" Howl was positively squirming now, but Gwen seemed amused. "Gareth kept saying it was such a good think I blossomed after you'd left" She laughed as she said this. Sophie got the distinct impression that Gwen didn't believe she'd blossomed at all.

"Megan said he'd told her not to tell me you'd come back" he said sadly. Gwen frowned. "We'll he'll answer for that. For all the you did to Myfanwy, you shielded me from some right lollocks" "I didn't do anything to her!" Howl protested "She thought-"

"I know what she thought, Howl, you don't need to explain it to me" Gwen forestalled him and glanced at Sophie, who realized that she was leaning forwards to hear what Howl had done to Myfanwy. Michael was also listening raptly. "My sister" Gwen explained "Took a.. fancy to Howl, some years ago-" Howl interrupted Gwen in panicked Welsh, but just Gwen laughed and replied in the same, then asked "So what brings you to the valleys today?" She looked at Michael and Sophie. "Neils homework" Howl answered "I ended up with it and he ended up with a paper of mine, which he's given to his teacher"

"Miss Angorian? I bet that went down well. That woman is a demon in disguise, I'm sure. Never had the misfortune to have to deal with such a mare as that one" Gwen grimaced.  
A clock started to toll from somewhere else in the building and Gwen jumped up looking striken. "Damn! I'm sorry, I've got to be at work in half an hour"  
Howl stood up, Sophie and Michael following suit. "That's ok, we had best be getting on anyway"  
They all made their way to the door and when outside Gwen turned to Howl "Are you staying locally or will you be flitting off again? I finish at the stable around 8, we could go to the pub?" Howl grinned, "Sounds a plan"  
"Excellent" She hugged him and then strode off up the road. Howl watched her until she was out of sight, and sighed, shaking his head at some thought.  
"Let's get this teacher dealt with then"


	2. In which a piece of Homework is traded

The group made its way over the road to the shop with the large window. There appeared to be no one in but when Howl pressed a button at a small door beside the window, Miss Angorian opened the door. They all stared at her. For a fierce schoolteacher, Miss Angorian was astonishingly young and slender and good-looking. She had sheets of blue-black hair hanging round her olive-brown heart-shaped face, and enormous dark eyes. The only thing which suggested fierceness about her was the direct and clever way those enormous eyes looked and seemed to sum them up.

"I ll take a small guess that you may be Howell Jenkins" Miss Angorian said to Howl. She had a low, melodious voice that was nevertheless rather amused and quite sure of itself.

Howl was taken aback for an instant. Then his smile snapped on. And that, Sophie thought, was goodbye to the pleasant dreams of Lettie and Mrs. Fairfax. For Miss Angorian was exactly the kind of lady someone like Howl could be trusted to fall in love with on the spot.

And not only Howl. Michael was staring admiringly too. And though all the houses around were apparently deserted, Sophie had no doubt that they were full of people who all knew both Howl and Miss Angorian and were watching with interest to see what would happen, especially after seeing him greated so enthusiastically over the road.

She could feel their invisible eyes. Market Chipping was like that too.

"And you must be Miss Angorian" said Howl. "I m sorry to bother you, but I made a stupid mistake last week and carried off my nephew s English homework instead of a rather important paper I had with me. I gather Neil gave it to you as proof that he wasn t shirking."

"He did" said Miss Angorian. "You d better come in and collect it."

Sophie was sure the invisible eyes in all the houses goggled and the invisible necks craned as Howl and Michael and she trooped in through Miss Angorian s door and up a flight of stairs to Miss Angorian s tiny, severe living room.

Miss Angorian said considerately to Sophie, "Won t you sit down?"

Sophie was still shaking from that horseless carriage. She sat down gladly on one of the two chairs. It was not very comfortable. Miss Angorian s room was not designed for comfort but for study. Though many of the things in it were strange, Sophie understood the walls of books, and the piles of paper on the table, and the folders stacked on the floor. She sat and watched Michael staring sheepishly and Howl turning on his charm.

"How is it you come to know who I am?" Howl asked beguilingly.

"You seem to have caused a lot of gossip in this town" Miss Angorian said, busy sorting through papers on the table.

"And what have those people who gossip told you?" Howl asked. He leaned languishingly on the end of the table and tried to catch Miss Angorian s eye.

"That you disappear and turn up rather unpredictably, for one thing" Miss Angorian said.

And what else? Howl followed Miss Angorian s movements with such a look that Sophie knew Lettie s only chance was for Miss Angorian to fall instantly in love with Howl too.

But Miss Angorian was not that kind of lady. She said, "Many other things, few of them to your credit" and caused Michael to blush by looking at him and Sophie in a way that suggested these things were not fit for their ears. She held a yellowish wavy-edged paper out to Howl. "Here it is" she said severely. "Do you know what it is?"

"Of course" said Howl.

"Then please tell me" said Miss Angorian.

Howl took the paper. There was a bit of a scuffle as he tried to take Miss Angorian s hand with it. Miss Angorian won the scuffle and put her hands behind her back. Howl smiled meltingly and passed the paper to Michael. "You tell her" he said.

Michael s blushing face lit up as soon as he looked at it. "It s the spell! Oh, I can do this one-it s enlargement, isn t it?"

"That s what I thought" Miss Angorian said rather accusingly. "I d like to know what you were doing with such a thing."

"Miss Angorian" said Howl, "if you have heard all those things about me, you must know I wrote my doctoral thesis on charms and spells.

You look as if you suspect me of working black magic! I assure you, I never worked any kind of spell in my life" Sophie could not stop herself making a small snort at this blatant lie. "With my hand on my heart" Howl added, giving Sophie an irritated frown," this spell is for study purposes only. It s very old and rare. That s why I wanted it back."

"Well, you have it back" Miss Angorian said briskly. "Before you go, would you mind giving me my homework sheet in return?

Photocopies cost money."

Howl brought out the gray paper willingly and held it just out of reach. "This poem now" he said. "It s been bothering me. Silly, really!-but I can t remember the rest of it. By Walter Raleigh, isn t it?"

Miss Angorian gave him a withering look. "Certainly not. It s by John Donne and it s very well known indeed. I have the book with it in here, if you want to refresh your memory."

"Please," said Howl, and from the way his eyes followed Miss Angorian as she went to her wall of books, Sophie realized that this was the real reason why Howl had come into this strange land where his family lived. But Howl was not above killing two birds with one stone. "Miss Angorian" he said pleadingly, following her contours as she stretched for the book, "would you consider coming out for some supper with me tonight?"

Miss Angorian turned round with a large book in her hands, looking more severe than ever. "I would not" she said. "Mr. Jenkins, I don t know what you've heard about me, but you must have heard that I still consider myself engaged to Ben Sullivan-"

"Never heard of him" said Howl.

"My fiance", said Miss Angorian. "He disappeared some years back.

Now, do you wish me to read this poem to you?"

"Do that," Howl said, quite unrepentant. "You have such a lovely voice."

"Then I ll start with the second verse" Miss Angorian said, "since you have the first verse there in your hand" She read very well, not only melodiously, but in a way which made the second verse fit the rhythm of the first, which in Sophie s opinion it did not do at all:

_If thou be'est born to strange sights,_

_Things invisible to see,_

_Ride ten thousand days and nights_

_Till age snow white hairs on thee._

_Thou, when thou returnest, wilt tell me_

_All strange wonders that befell thee,_

_And swear_

_No where_

_Lives a woman true, and fair._

_If thou-_

Howl had gone a terrible white. Sophie could see sweat standing on his face. "Thank you, he said. Stop there. I won t trouble you for the rest. Even the good woman is untrue in the last verse, isn t she? I remember now. Silly of me. John Donne, of course." Miss Angorian lowered the book and stared at him. He forced up a smile. "We must be going now. Sure you won t change your mind about supper?"

"I will not" said Miss Angorian. "Are you quite well, Mr. Jenkins?"

"In the pink" Howl said, and he hustled Michael and Sophie away down the stairs and into the horrible horseless carriage. The invisible watchers in the houses must have thought Miss Angorian was chasing them with a saber, if they judged from the speed with which Howl packed them into it and drove off.

"What s the matter?" Michael asked as the carriage went roaring and grinding uphill again and Sophie clung to bits of seat for dear life.

Howl pretended not to hear. So Michael waited until Howl was locking it into its shed and asked again.

"Oh, nothing" Howl said airily, leading the way back to the yellow house called RIVENDELL. "The Witch of the Waste has caught up with me with her curse, that s all. Bound to happen sooner or later." He seemed to be calculating or doing sums in his head while he opened the garden gate. "Ten thousand," Sophie heard him murmur.

"That brings it to about Midsummer Day."

"What is brought to Midsummer Day?" asked Sophie.

"The time I ll be ten thousand days old", Howl said. "And that, Mrs.

Nose" he said, swinging into the garden of RIVENDELL, "is the day I shall have to go back to the Witch of the Waste." Sophie and Michael hung back on the path, staring at Howl s back, so mysteriously labeled WELSH RUGBY. "If I keep clear of mermaids," they heard him mutter, "and don t touch a mandrake root-"

Michael called out, "Do we have to go back into that house? and Sophie called out, What will the Witch do?"

"I shudder to think," Howl said. "You don t have to go back in, Michael."

He opened the wavy-glass door. Inside was the familiar room of the castle. Calcifer s sleepy flames were coloring the walls faintly blue-green in the dusk. Howl flung back his long sleeves and gave Calcifer a log.

"She caught up, old blueface," he said.

"I know" said Calcifer. "I felt it take."


	3. An unexpected guest

Despite the threat of the Witch's curse hanging over his head, Howl disappeared back off to the strange country that evening and did not return until Sophie and Michael had long since gone to bed.  
It was relatively late in the morning when he came bounding down the stairs, wafting lavender scent about, announced that he was going out for the day and left through the Kingsbury door.  
Sophie spent the day sewing, and told Calcifer about the strange country where Howl's family lived. Calcifer was very interested. "I knew he came from foreign parts," he said "But this sounds like another world entirely. Clever of the witch to send the curse in from there. Very clever all round. That's magic I admire, using something that already exists and turning it round into a curse. I did wonder about it when you and Michael were reading it the other day. That fool Howl told her too much about himself"  
Sophie gazed at Calcifer's thin blue face. It did not suprise her to find Calcifer admired the curse, anymore tan it suprised her when he called Howl a fool. He was always insulting Howl. But she could never work out if Calcifer really Howl. Calicfer looked so evil anyway it was hard to tell.  
Calcifer moved his orange eyes to look into Sophie's. "I'm scared too," he said "I shall suffer with Howl if the Witch cathes him. If you don't break the contratc before she does, I wont be able to help you at all".  
But before Sophie could ask more, Howl came dashing in. He neatly slithered out of Michael's inquiry of where he had been and promptly went back out again, this time turning the knob black down.'To see Miss Angorian I'll bet' Sophie thought.  
She, Michael and Calcifer had a quiet evening, and were just considering having an early night when there was a thunderous knocking on the door. They all looked at each other in suprise and Michael stood up to go and open the door. He wasn't quick enough, the door was given another thunderous pummeling and flew open. "Gwen!" gasped Sophie, recognizing the woman who had just fallen face first through the door.  
Michael hurried forward but with the speed of a striking snake Gwen was up, slamming the door shut, and shooting forwards where she collided with Michael and slid to the ground, gasping like she couldn't breath.  
"she's from the other country? That's not possible! She can't have done that on her own!" Calcifer was shouting, evidently horrified at this breach in his security. "Sophie she can't breath!" Came Michael's panicked voice. Gwen was very pale, her frantic attempts to stand up were slowing, and her hand grasping Michael's shirt was falling limp. Her hair was disarrayed and the back of her shirt could have been described as singed, except the singe was a vibrant peacock blue. Sophie too a deep breath.  
"Michael, get her onto the sofa. Calcifer, does she feel evil?" "No" Calcifer admitted. He frowned a minute as he took stock of some internal checklist "She's been shoved through by something powerful I think. Whatever it is is waiting the other side of the door for her. It feels like a curse, but it's not possible to outrun a curse.." He trailed off, thinking. "It feels like something to do with the Witch, the power of it" He said this slowly, and peered out of the grate at the woman, now lying on the sofa and completely unconscious.  
Sophie frowned, immediately following his train of thought. "The curse wont even kick in until Midsummer" Calcifer nodded, "True. Looks like Howl's friend upset someone then" "Sophie?" Michael cut in. Sophie hurried forwards to the jars and packets near the work bench. "where's the mint?" Michael found some and Sophie quickly started crushing it. "Calcifer, I'm sorry but we're going to need hot water. We need steam"  
For once not grumbling, Calcifer quickly boiled the kettle Michael placed on him. When it was hot Sophie added the mint in eye watering quantities and soon the room was full of the sharp scented steam. About half an hour of this saw Gwen's laboured breathing ease to just a faint wheezing. "Can you do anything for her Calcifer?" Michael asked, "Not without Howl" said Calcifer with a shrug.  
"We'll just have to wait then" said Sophie.  
It was quite late when Howl finally came back, and they had all been dozing. "What on earth have you been doing Sophie?" asked Howl as he walked into the room, pulling a face as the smell of the last of the mint hit him. "You should have been here 3 hours ago" said Sophie sleepily, before she memory hit her and she sat bolt upright "Howl-" She started urgently, but he had already seen the prone figure "What the hell's been going on?" "Howl" Calcifer broke in "Look at her". Howl frowned and strode over "Jesus!"He spun round. "Something was chasing her, it was powerful enough to push her through the castle ahead of it. She outran it" Calcifer explained, but Sophie didn't think Howl was listening. He was studying his friend's face intently and listening to the wheezing. He stood abruptly and lifted Gwen up from the sofa, and came to stand before Calcifer. Sophie and Michael watched silently, and felt the soft backlash of magic that passed between the Wizard and the demon.  
Immediately Gwen's laboured breathing eased and Howl sank to his knees still holding her. He glanced up at Sophie, "She always had terrible trouble asthma" he said "well done for the mint"  
Now breathing freely, Gwen started to stir. Later Sophie had to admit she had never seen anyone go from unconcious oblivion through to proverbially working a full plough team quite like it. 'Most women waking up in Howls arms would probably go through the whole where-am-i routine' she thought.  
Gwen gave a feeble twitch and then, as if her brain suddenly hotwired her body, her eyes snapped open and she shot up like a jack in the box, looking around wildly and with undisguised terror. Howl stood up quickly too and grasped her shoulders "Whoa, Gwen, It's me! You're fine! What happenend? How did you get here?"  
Gwen's mouth opened and moved but no speech came out. She frowned and tried again, before looking up at Howl in mute terror. "Ok, so she didn't run quiet fast enough" Said Calcifer, clearly attempting to lighten the mood. Gwen spun round to look at Calcifer and shot backwards out of Howl's grip before falling over a chair. She put her head in her hands and Sophie had the distinct impression she was trying to test if this was a dream.  
Howl approached her slowly and knelt in front of her, he reached a hand onto her shoulder again and spoke softly in the language from the other country. Gwen looked up and Howl spoke more. He spoke at some length, periodically eliciting nods or headshakes, until at last he stood up and hauled Gwen to her feet. He led her back in front of the fireplace and gestured at Clacifer, saying something else. She nodded and knelt down in front of Calcifer, looking at him intently. "Hello Gwen" said Calcifer, clearly trying hard to appear friendly. Gwen smiled at him, a little uncertainly, but clearly trying to reciprocate the gesture. "You remember Sophie, and Michael?" Howl asked. Gwen nodded. "Excellent. They'll show you around. Calcifer, hot water please" Howl turned quickly and strode off up the stairs.

The four of them watched him disappear and Calcifer broke the silence. "Would you like a hot drink?" Gwen nodded, and Sophie fetched the kettle. "You weren't that generous to me when I turned up!" "That was different, Gwen here clearly has untapped talents to outrun a curse like that" Sophie gave him a sharp look as she placed the kettle on him, wondering if he had plans to get Gwen in on the contract breaking too, but found Gwen was already frowning at him. She opened her mouth to speak but on finding no voice came out she frowned even further. "I think we have a slate somewhere" said Michael eagerly "I could get it and you could write what happened!" Gwen looked at Michael and then dropped her gaze to the floor, blushing furiously. She slowly shook her head. Michael looked puzzled, but Sophie understood what she was trying to say. "Can you write?" She asked gently. Gwen wouldn't look up and shook her head again. Michael looked astounded. " You can't write? Can you not read either?" Another head shake. She slowly sat down on the floor by Calcifer and hugged her knees to her chest, still not meeting anyone's eye. Michael flushed slightly, realising that he was the source of more discomfort, and muttered his goodnights before hurrying up the stairs.

The kettle started to sing and Sophie made Gwen a cup of tea. "Will you be ok on the sofa tonight? We can sort out something better tomorrow" she asked. Gwen nodded, taking the tea out of Sophies hands. She gestured at the cup and then gave Sophie a smile, clearly trying to say 'thank you'.  
Sophie wondered what to say to her to comfort her, but Calcifer spoke first. "Can you really not read and write?" Gwen shook her head. "Would you like to?" Gwens expression was cautious as she nodded. "Right, well we can teach you. Can't we Sophie?" Sophie was taken aback but quickly agreed, and her heart was warmed by the glimmer of hope suddenly shining in Gwen's face.


	4. The next day

After the excitement of the previous night, Sophie awoke to find Howl had already left and Michael was taking advantage of his absence in the bathroom. Gwen she found sat in front of Calcifer, with chalk and slate, copying out the alphabet drawn in the ashes around Calcifer.  
Calcifer was watching her with a proprietorial eye and occasionally instructing her. He looked up at Sophie and Gwen immediately stopped what she was doing, looking embarrassed. She also looked very tired.

"You've not been at this all night have you?" Sophie asked incredulously. "Not quite all night, but certainly for a while" replied Calcifer. Before Sophie could ask how they were getting along, Howl burst through the door, clutching a handful of parcels. "Good Morning! Are you ready to see Mrs Pentstemmon today Sophie? You can't come looking like that Gwen so I got you these" He handed the parcels brusquely to her and swept round. Sophie had the impression he was avoiding looking at Gwen.

Michael came clattering down the stairs in his new blue velvet suit, and Sophie took the opportunity to go and get changed herself.  
When she came back down, Gwen was carefully examining a beautiful dress in a deep green satin. Sophie noticed that Gwen was running a practiced eye over the stitching and the fabric, and she warmed to the other woman even more. Gwen looked up and tried unsuccessfully to catch Howls eye, but he dashed up the stairs and into his room.  
"I don't think Mrs Pentsemmon is the sort of person you could meet wearing trousers and burned shirt" she said gently. Gwen looked at her mutely, her face doubtful. She gestured at the dress and then at herself. Sophie understood. "You'll look lovely I'm sure. Howl's many things but he's got quite an eye for clothes." Gwen chewed her lip, but nodded. When she had been dispatched up the stairs and into the bathroom, Sophie and Michael sat down to wait for both Howl and Gwen.

"You look wonderfully rich and stately Sophie! poor Gwen, she didn't look too sure about wearing that dress" observed Michael. "I don't think she thought she should be wearing something as grand as it" said Sophie sagely, thinking to her own days trying on the fancy hats and discarding them as not-for-her.  
Gwen reappeared. She was walking uncertainly in the long dress and with her head down, but she did look undeniably lovely,_ 'if a little thin'_ thought Sophie. Gwen looked up slowly, and now they could see what had caught Howls attention when they had first met her. A half healed bruise under her left eye marred an otherwise porcelain complexion.  
"You look like a noble lady!" said Sophie, breaking the silence. "Very nice indeed" added Michael, making her smile. "A hairbrush, perhaps?" added Calcifer. Gwen's smile faded a little and she raised her hand slowly to the bun at the back of her head. She frowned and then shrugged, quickly removing a handful of hair pins and a tight elastic band. She shook her head and her hair cascaded down her back until it was about level with her elbows.  
Michael gaped at her and Calcifer sniggered. Sophie glared at them both "You look lovely" she said, smiling at her.  
"You both do" said Howl, suddening appearing at the top of the stairs "You do me credit Sophie, apart from that awful old stick".  
"Some people," said Sophie, narrowing her eyes at him "are thoroughly self-centered. This stick goes with me. I need it for moral support". Howl reached the bottom of the stairs and rolled his eyes at the ceiling, but he did not argue back.


	5. In which Sophie becomes Howl's Mother

They took their stately way into the streets of Kingsbury. Sophie of course looked back to see what the castle was like here, and saw a big arched gateway surrounding a small black door. The rest of the castle seemed to be rather a blank stretch of plastered wall between two carved stone houses.

Gwen looked round too and stopped dead in her tracks, staring. Howl realised he and Michael were the only ones walking on, and glanced over his shoulder. "Before you ask, it's really just a disused stable. Come on, this way". Sophie placed a hand on Gwen's shoulder and the young woman turned away from the castle.

They walked through the streets, looking at least as fine as any of the passersby. Not that many people were about - Kingsbury was a long way south and it was a bakingly hot day there. The pavements shimmered. Sophie discovered another disadvantage to being old; you felt queer in hot weather. The elaborate buildings wavered in front of her eyes and she was annoyed with herself, because she wanted to look at the place. All she had was a vague impression of golden domes and tall houses.

"By the way," said Howl conversationally, "Mrs Pentstemmon will call you Mrs Pendragon. Pendragon's the name I go under here." "What ever for?" asked Sophie. She glanced at Gwen beside her, and was suprised to see her smirking. "For disguise," said Howl "Pendragon's a lovely name, much better than Jenkins."

"I get by quite well with a plain name" Sophie said as they turned into a blessedly cool street. "We can't all be Mad Hatters" replied Howl tartly. Gwen threw her head back in a silent laugh. "It's nice to see you smiling" said Howl, glancing at her. He spoke rapidly in Welsh at her, and the smile faded. She shrugged at him.

"It's bad manners to do that Howl" said Sophie absently, looking around her. "If you must know, Mrs Nose, I was telling Gwen that, for the purpose of this visit, she is my intended. You are my mother" Howl strode ahead before Sophie could retort.

Mrs Pentstemmon's house was gracious and tall, near the end of the cool street. It had orange trees in tubs on either side of the handsome front door. Howl paused at the door "Oh, I almost forgot", and turned sharply to Gwen behind him, raising his hand. He looked as astonished as Sophie felt when Gwen flinched down against her as though expecting him to thump her.

"Gwen cariad.." his voice trailed off as he lowered his hand slowly. "I only.. Your eye.. The bruise.." Gwen straightend up again slowly, looking up at him at with a mix of embarrassment and fear. Sophie felt her tremble. "I think bruises are best left alone" She declared, staring hard at him and then glancing over at Michael, daring him to comment. "Accidents happen all the time, I'm sure Mrs Pentstemmon will know that". Howl didn't reply and turned away.

The front door was opened by an elderly footman in black velvet, who led them into a wonderfully cool black and white checkered marble hall, where Michael tried secretly to wipe the sweat from his brow. Howl, who always seemed to be cool, treated the footman as an old friend and made jokes to him. Sophie kept an eye on Gwen, who had gone white.

The footman passed them on to a page boy in red velevet. Sophie, as the boy led them ceremoniously up highly polished stairs, began to see why this made good practice for meeting the King. She felt as if she were in a palace already. When the ushered them into a shaded drawing room, she was sure even a palace could not be this elegant. Everything in the room was blue and gold and white, small and fine. Even the piano was uncommonly well built. Mrs Pentstemmon was the finest thing of all.

She was thin and tall, sat bolt upright in a blue and gold embroidered chair, supporting herself rigidly with one hand, in a gold meshed mitten, on a gold topped cane. She wore old-gold silk, in a very stiff and old fashioned style, finished off with an old-gold headdress not unlike a crown, which tied in a large old-gold bow beneath her gaunt eagle face. She was the finest and most frightening lady Sophie had ever seen.

"Ah, my dear Howell," She said, holding out a gold mesh mitten. Howl bent and kissed the mitten as he was obviously supposed to do. He did it very gracefully, but it was rather spoiled from the back view by him flapping his hand furiously at Michael behind his back. Michael, a little too slowly, realised he was supposed to stand by the door beside the page boy. He backed there in a hurry, only too please to get as far away as he could from Mrs Pentstemmon.

"Mrs Pentstemmon, allow me to present my old mother" he gestured furiously at Sophie behind his back as Mrs Pentstemmon presented Sophie with the same gold mitten. Unsure whether she was meant to kiss is it, and feeling unequal to trying, Sophie settled for laying a land over it. The hand in the mitten felt like a cold claw beneath her own skin and Sophie quickly relinquished it to step back again, wondering how on earth Mrs Pentstemmon was actually still alive with a corpse like hand as she did.

"and my intended, Gwynllian Llywelyn" Gwen stepped forward and curtsied skillfully, long skirt sweeping the floor and curling hair falling forward in graceful manner.

"Charmed, delighted" said Mrs Pentstemmon. "Forgive my not standing up. My health is not good. It forced me to retire from teaching 3 years ago. Pray sit down."

Trying not to shake with nerves, Sophie sat as grandly as she could in the embroidered chair opposite Mrs Pentstemmon's, supporting herself with her stick in what she hoped was an elegant way. Howl spread himself gracefully in a chair next to it. He looked quite at home and Sophie envied him. Gwen sat next to Sophie, on the edge of her seat, legs folded under her. She looked unfazed by the grandeur and sat with ease in the elegant manner, as though she was used to it.

"I am 86" Mrs Pentstemmon announced. "How old are you, my dear Mrs Pendragon?"

"90" Sophie said, that being the first high number that came into her head. "So old?" Mrs Pentstemmon said with what might have been slight stately envy. "How lucky you are to move so nimbly still"

"Oh yes, she's so wonderfully nimble. Sometimes there's no stopping her." said Howl. Mrs Pentstemmon gave him a look which told Sophie she had been a teacher at least as fierce as Miss Angorian. " I am talking to your mother" she said "I daresay she is as proud of you as I am. We are 2 old ladies who both had a hand in forming you. You are, one might say, our joint creation"

Gwen smiled slightly and looked down at her lap. "Don't you think I did any of me myself, then?" Howl asked "Put in a few touches of my own?"

"A few." Mrs Pentstemmon said with mild distaste "and those not altogether to my liking. But you will not wish to sit here and hear yourself be discussed. YOu will go down and sit on the terrace, taking your page boy with you, where Hunch will bring you both a cool drink. Go along."

If Sophie had not been so nervous herself, she might have laughed at the expression on Howl's face. He had obviously not expected this to happen at all, but he got up, with only a slight shrug, made a slight warning face at Sophie, briefly squeezed Gwens shoulder in passing, and shooed Michael out of the door ahead of him. Mrs Pentstemmon turned her rigid body very slightly to watch them go, then nodded at the page boy, who scuttled out of the room too. After that, Mrs Pentstemmon turned back towards Sophie and Gwen.

"I prefer him with black hair" Mrs Pentstemmon announced. "That boy is going to the bad." Gwen looked up from her lap at Mrs Pentstemmon. "I presume you are accomplished to have tamed Howell, my dear? Do play for me" Mrs Pentstemmon gestured towards the piano with her stick, and Gwen slowly rose, glancing at Sophie, and made her way over to the instrument. Sophie wildly wondered what she could say that would make Mrs Pentstemmon recant from what would surely be humiliation for Gwen, but her mind was blank. Gwen sat at the piano and looked over her shoulder at Mrs Pentstemmon with a slightly raised eyebrow. "Play anything you feel is appropriate my dear" the old lady said. The younger woman nodded gracefully and turned back to the Piano, and began to play a complicated waltz. Sophie stared.

"I fear for the boy"

Sophie looked away from Gwen's back to Mrs Pentstemmon, confused. "Who, Michael?"

"Not the servitor.I do not think he is clever enough to cause me concern. I am talking about Howell, Mrs Pendragon".

"Oh" said Sophie, wondering at the use of 'going'. Howl was already bad. He'd got there a long time ago. "Take his whole appearance" continued Mrs Pentstemmon sweepingly "Look at his clothes". Sophie responded mildly;"He _is_ always very careful about his appearance".

Mrs Pentstemmon tutted derisively. "And he always was. I am careful about my appearance too, and I see no harm in that. But what call has he to be walking around in a charmed suit?"

From the piano there came an off key note. Mrs Pentstemmon ignored it and continued "It is a dazzling attraction charm, directed at the ladies - very well done, I must admit. It is barely detectable to even my trained eye, since it appears to have been darned into the very seams. It is a charm that will render him nigh on irrestible. this represents a downward trend into the black arts which must surely cause you some motherly concern, Mrs Pendragon"

Another off-note jarred the elegant music and Sophie forced herself not to look. She thought uneasily to the grey and scarlet suit. She had darned the seams herself, and hadn't noticed a thing. But then, she was only an expert on clothes. Mrs Pentstemmon was an expert on magic.

Mrs Pentstemmon put both her gold mittens on top of her cane and stiffly turned her body round to face the piano. "Play something else, my dear. That tune appears to be giving you some discomfort." At the piano, Gwen froze. Without turning around, she took a deep breath and struck up a new tune with force. The opening notes jarred bitingly into the room and Sophie felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

Mrs Pentstemmon didn't appear to notice and nodded in an approving manner before turning back to face Sophie, and Sophie felt more on edge then ever with those two piercing eyes boring into her. "My life is nearly over." Mrs Pentstemmon announced "I have felt death tiptoeing close to my side for some time now."

"Oh I'm sure it isn't so" said Sophie, trying hard to sound soothing but certain that she didn't. It was hard to sound like anything with Mrs Pentstemmon staring at her, and the eerie waltz coming from the piano.

"Oh I assure you it is so" said Mrs Pentstemmon "This is why I was so anxious to see you Mrs Pendragon. Howell, you see, was my last pupil and by far my best. I was about to retire when he came to me from a foreign land. I though my work was done when I trained Benjamin Sullivan - whom you will probably better know as Wizard Sulliman, rest his soul! - and procured for him the position of Royal Magician. Oddly enough, he came from the same country as Howell. Then Howell came along, and I saw at a glance he had twice the imagination and abilities, and, though I admit he had some faults of character, I knew he was a force for good. For_ good_, Mrs Pendragon! But what is he now?"

'_A good question_' thought Sophie, though out loud she said "What indeed?"

"Something has happened to him" Mrs Pentstemmon said, staring hard at Sophie. "And I intend, no I am _determined_ to put that right before I die"

"What do you think has happened?" said Sophie, trying hard not to squirm under the gimlet gaze. "I must rely on you to tell me that," Mrs Pentstemmon said "My feeling is that he has gone the same way as the Witch of the Waste. They tell me she was not wicked once - though I have this on hearsay alone since she is older then either of us, and keeps herself young by her arts. Howell has gifts in the same order as hers. It seems as if those of high ability cannot resist some extra, dangerous stroke of brilliance which results in a fatal flaw and begins a slow decline to evil. Do you, by any chance, have a clue as to what it might be?"

The piano music was reached its crescendo and Calcifer's voice came to her suddenly._ 'The contract isn't doing either of us any good in the long run'_. Sophie felt a chill run down her spine, in spite of the heat of the day wafting in through the windows. Gwen fell silent at the piano and Sophie spoke decisively. "Yes. He's made some sort of a pact with his fire demon"

Mrs Pentstemmon hand's shook slightly on her stick. "That will be it. You must break that contract Mrs Pendragon." Sophie shook her head slightly "I would if I knew how"

"Surely your own maternal feelings and your own strong magic gift will tell you how," Mrs Pentstemmon said "I have been looking at you Mrs Pendragon, though you may not have noticed - " Sophie replied without thinking "Oh I had noticed"

"- and I like your gift. It brings life to things, such as the stick in your hand, which you have evidently talked to, to the extent that it has become what the layman might call a Magic Wand. I think you would not find it too hard to break that contract"

"Did Howl tell you I was a witch, because if he did - " Sophie burst out. "He did not. There is no need to be coy. You can rely on my experience to tell me such things." Mrs Pentstemmon said, leaning back and turning her head slightly to the piano. "It tells me of your talents too, my dear. I have not seen your gift for many years. You may rejoin us" Gwen stood up very slowly and returned to the table. She took Howl's vacated chair and stared fixedly at her lap, but Sophie saw that her eyes were red and her lips were drawn into a thin.

"I need to know the terms of the contract" Sophie said, looking back to Mrs Pentstemmon. To her suprise, the old woman shut her eyes with a slight sigh. "I do not know, nor do I wish to know, about such contracts." Her voice wobbled and her mouth quirked slightly, as though she had unexpectedly bitten on a peppercorn. "But I now see what happened to the Witch. She made a contract with her fire demon and, over the years, that demon has taken control of her. Demons do not understand good and evil but they can be bribed into a contract, provided the human offers them something valuble, something only humans have. This prolongs the life of both the human and the demon, and the human gets the demons power to add to their own. " Mrs Pentstemmon opened her eyes. "That is all I have to say on the subject," she said "although I advise you to find out what that demon got. Now I must bid you farewell. I must rest a while."

And like magic, which it probably was, the door opened and the page boy came in to usher Sophie and Gwen out of the room. Sophie was exceedingly glad to go, and a glance at Gwen told her that she too was overjoyed at leaving the presence of Mrs Pentstemmon. A glance over her shoulder at the rigid figure of the old lady made Sophie wonder if Mrs Pentstemmon would have spoken to her in such a manner had she really been Howl's old mother. She had a feeling she would.

"I take my hat off to Howl for standing her as a teacher for more then a day" she murmured to Gwen. "Madam?" asked the page boy, thinking she addressed him. "I said, go slowly down the stairs or I can't keep up" Sophie said quickly. She felt her knees wobble beneath her. "You young boys dash about so" she added.

The page boy slowed down and Gwen offered Sophie her arm. Leaning quite heavily on her, Sophie thought over some of the things Mrs Pentstemmon had said. She had called Sophie a witch. Oddly enough, she had no problems in accepting that. It explained why certain hats had been more popular. It explained Jane Farrier's Count Whatsmacallit. It possibly explained the Witch's jealousy. It was as if she had always known. But she had not thought it proper for the eldest of 3 to have a magic gift. Lettie had been far more sensible about such things.

Sophie thought to the grey and scarlet suit and stumbled with dismay. She was the one who had put the charm on it. She could hear herself now; '_Built to pull in the girls!'  
_

And of course it had. It had charmed Lettie in the orchard. It might have even had an effect on Miss Angorian too. Sophie glanced at Gwen. Her avoidance of the curse and her disinterest in her friend must surely have been to what Mrs Pentstemmon referred to as her gift.

'Oh dear!' Sophie thought 'Ive gone and doubled the number of hearts he'll have broken! I must get that suit off him somehow!'

Howl, in that same suit, was waiting in the cool black and white hall with Michael. Michael nudged Howl in a worried way as Sophie and Gwen came down the stairs behind the page boy.

"You two seem a bit ragged" Howl said, looking sadly at them "I think we'd better skip seeing the King. I'll go and blacken my own name when I make your excuses. I can say my wicked ways have made you ill, Sophie. That could be true, looking at you"

Sophie did not wish to see the King. But she thought of what Calcifer had said. If the King commanded Howl to go into the Waste, and the Witch caught up with him, Sophie's own chance at being young again would have gone too. She felt a small tremor run through Gwen as the joined the two men, and felt a slight surge of pity towards her. Gwen would be stuck too. She shook her head at Howl. "After Mrs Pentstemmon, the King of Ingary will seem just like an ordinary person"


	6. Michael hears a one-side conversation

Michael wasn't sure what had gone on with Mrs Pentsemmon, but he was sure that neither woman had fared well. Sophie looked as though she might have a heart attack, and Gwen as though she might faint.  
They made their way through the baking city and to the front entrance of the Castle. There was a mighty flight of stairs going up and every 6 steps a red suited soldier. Only Gwen seemed unaffected by the steep ascent, but Michael, Sophie and even Howl were out of breath and puffing at the top of the stairs.

At the top there were halls, archways, corridors, lobbies and every other architectural luxury. Michael couldn't help but smile as hes saw that Sophie was overwhelmed by the opulent surroundings. At every archway there was splendidly dressed man wearing a magnificent suit and - even in the heat - white gloves, who inquired politely of their business and directed them on.  
"Mrs Pendragon to see the King!" echoed down the corridors from each person.

About halfway they were stopped by another of the palace men and Howl repeated their purpose. The palace man politely told Howl that he would wait in the foyer, and a quick glance at Howl told Michael that that wan't what he had intended on doing. The palace man saw this too and resourcefully gestured at Gwen. "If I might be so bold, you might take the Lady with you sir. The heat is cloying today, and it is perhaps inappropriate for one of your companions to continue if she is indisposed" Michael was impressed. Howl was backed into a corner and he knew it. "Of course" he said, stepping beside Gwen and taking her arm. "Though I assume Michael may continue through to assist my mother should she require it?" The man noddded, "Of course."

With a strange look at Sophie, Howl led Gwen in the direction the man had pointed them too and Michael and Sophie carried on down the long halls in companionable silence. They eventually reached a large anteroom paneled in hundreds of different types of timber, where the palace man (now in blue with white gloves, rather then red with white gloves) told Michael that he would wait here while Mrs Pendragon would speak with the King. Then the palace man requested that Sophie wait for but a moment while he announced her.

Left alone in the room, Michael turned to Sophie. "Do you think Gwen is alright?" Sophie nodded absently, looking around the room in a vaguely panicked way "Yes, the heat is terrible today. It didn't seem very warm like that in her land so I suppose she's not used to it"  
"No, I mean.." Michael trailed off slightly, unsure how to ask "She thought Howl was going to hit her." Sophie looked at him properly. "No, I think the term 'force of habit' would be more appropriate to that Michael"

Michael nodded slowly and Sophie added "She was learning with Calcifer this morning. If we all help, we'll be able to talk to her soon."  
Michael was about to ask more but the palace man came through and whisked Sophie into the room.

He had been waiting for what felt like hours when another palace attendant came to find him. "Please come with me Sir, your companions will be meeting you in the entrance hall" He followed the palace man and was lead to the archway into the hall. He hesitated when he heard Howl's voice murmuring ".. and you know I would have come for you."

Michael leaned slightly round the arched entrance and saw that Gwen was leaning forwards in her seat, leaning her arms on her knees. Howl was leaning towards her, and his voice was pitched low. "How long did he.. were you with him?".

Gwen folded down her thumb, and held her hand up slightly. **4**. "Oh Cariad." Howl sighed. "Did Neil know?" A shake of the head. "No one until you got back?" A shake of the head, then a shrug.

"I'm sorry. I should have.." Howl's voice trailed off and Michael was take aback at the remorse in Howl's voice. This was regret that he'd never heard in his masters voice before. Gwen frowned in a puzzled manner then placed a hand on Howl's, clasped together on his knees. She shook him gently and shook her head. Howl placed one of his hands back on hers. "Mean that?" He smiled ruefully.

"I'm sorry you got dragged into this too Gwenny. 'though this is the quietest I think I've ever known you!" He gave a small laugh, and Gwen rolled her eyes and stood up sharply. She staggered slightly and Howl was immediately up, and steadying her. "Easy. You can jump about when we've got food down you". The woman frowned and bit her lip. "See your thinking, leave the money to me."

Michael felt his heart drop; the finances were Howl's weakest point. If it wasn't for him hiding the money there were times when there would be no food what so ever. Howl had once spent all their money on a guitar and a skull for heavens sake! Gwen raised an eyebrow at Howl. She looked at him skeptically and Michael got the impression that she had faith in Howl's finacial skills either. He raised his hand to stifle a laugh and Gwen's head snapped round to the door. Howl looked round and saw him.

"Hello Michael, where's Sophie?"


End file.
